1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to robotic vehicles and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for moving a robotic vehicle within a space using a set of tracks and attachment units associated with the set of tracks.
2. Background
In certain situations, operations may need to be performed within a space that is difficult to access or a space within which moving is difficult. For example, the space may be a confined space that is restricted in width, height, area, volume, or a combination thereof. In some cases, access to the space may be limited by the entrance into the space. In other cases, moving through a space may be difficult because a continuous and smooth surface is not present.
The interior of a wing box for an aircraft may be an example of one type of space that may be difficult to access and within which moving can be difficult. In some cases, the entire interior of a wing box may be considered one space. In other cases, each wing bay within the wing box may be considered a different space.
Currently, performing operations within the interior of a wing box may be more difficult than desired. For example, to perform an operation within a wing bay inside the wing box, a human operator may need to enter the wing bay through an access port. However, the access hole that is the entrance into the wing bay may be limiting in size. Further, the confined nature of the wing bay may hinder the ability of the human operator to perform operations within the wing bay. Still further, the presence of structures, such as stringers, mounted to the inner skin panels of the wing box may impede movement of the human operator through the wing box.
In some cases, a robotic arm may be used to perform operations within a wing box. For example, a robotic arm, supported by a base located outside of the wing box, may reach into the wing box through an access port. However, some currently available robotic arms have limited reach. Consequently, these types of robotic arms may be unable to perform certain types of operations.
Some currently available robotic vehicles may be small enough to enter a wing box through an access port. However, moving these robotic vehicles through the wing box may be more difficult than desired and, in some cases, infeasible. In particular, moving these robotic vehicles over the inner skin panels of the wing box and over structures, such as stringers, mounted to the inner skin panels may be more difficult than desired and, in some cases, infeasible. Additionally, providing power to these robotic vehicles such that the robotic vehicles may maneuver and perform operations within these spaces may be more difficult than desired. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.